1. Field of Invention
The present invention generally relates to devices for dispensing a fragrance by employing principles of either evaporation or sublimation and, more particularly, devices which provide adjustable control over the release of the fragrance to the ambient environment, while providing a decorative effect having aesthetic and artistic appeal.
2. The Brief Description of Prior Art
A wide variety of devices are presently known for dispensing both liquid and solid fragrances to the environment of rooms, automobiles and the like. One type of dispenser which has enjoyed popularity over the years is constructed by placing a fragrance release agent in a carrying container having a plurality of apertures (e.g., holes) in its side wall surfaces. The carrying container is positioned inside an outer sleeve having a plurality of apertures in its side wall surfaces. The inner fragrance carrying container is typically adapted for slidable rotation or translational movement relative to the outer sleeve for establishing coincidence or registration of the apertures in the fragrance carrying container and outer sleeve. In this registered position the corresponding apertures allow the fragrance vapor to escape from the dispenser to the outside environment. Examples of these prior art devices can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 439,317; 2,038,071; 2,247,600; 2,738,225; 4,219,145; 4,258,874 and Des. 262,821. Each suffer from several significant shortcomings and drawbacks.
In particular, the prior art fragrance dispensers substantially maintain their overall geometrical shape and appearance in the dispensing and non-dispensing configurations. This condition provides a limited degree of control over the release of vapors to the environment. In other words, the prior art did not provide a frangrance dispenser which is capable of undergoing a substantial change in physical appearance or overall geometry, to provide a decorative structure which facilitates opening and closing of the dispenser to permit a desired degree of passive fragrancing to the ambient environment.
Accordingly, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide a fragrance dispenser having a physical appearance and overall geometry which undergoes substantial transformation when closed and opened, to permit a desired degree of passive fragrancing of an environment.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a frangrance dispenser having a cylindrical geometry in its closed position and, in its open dispensing position, a decorative enveloping structure of oblate spherical geometry, which is generated abut a substantial portion of a cylindrical inner fragrance carrying container.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a fragrance dispenser in which the decorative enveloping structure of oblate spherical geometry comprises a plurality of helically extending strips generated about the cylindrical inner fragrance carrying container.
Other and further objects of the present invention will be explained and will become apparent to one with ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains.